


Car Rides

by writerstrash



Series: Raising Peter: Superfamily Oneshots [8]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fatherhood, M/M, Parenthood, Superfamily, Superhusbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-04-24 11:00:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19171912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writerstrash/pseuds/writerstrash
Summary: Just some snippets of Peter falling asleep in the car throughout the years.





	Car Rides

As adorable and perfect as Peter was, there were times when Tony and Steve were reminded of that fact he was a normal baby who experienced normal baby moments. Specifically, right now, that baby moment was refusing to sleep. Tony had held him and rocked him for almost thirty minutes by the time he had given up and passed him over to Steve. With some shushing and rubbing of his back, Peter calmed down, but only for half a minute. Then the screams were back again.

The sobbing was breaking Tony's heart as he watched the baby cry in Steve's arms. Peter obviously wanted to sleep, he had exhausted himself from screaming, but he just wouldn't give in. 

"He can't be hungry," Steve shook his head. "Maybe he just wants to be held,"

"We've  _been_ holding him for almost an hour and a half, that's not it," Tony sighed. "And if he wanted to be held, surely he would be asleep by now,"

"He's usually so easy to put down," Steve whispered, hoping his gentle voice would help his son calm down. 

Tony watched them for another moment, shaking his head. Peter needed to sleep.  _They_ needed to sleep. 

"Put him in the car," Tony suggested, waving a hand for Steve to follow him to the garage. 

"Where are we going?" he asked, following behind his husband.

"If we take him for a drive, maybe he'll fall asleep," Tony explained. "Babies like that. White noise, gentle movements, surrounded by their car seat."

Steve smiled at the thought of Tony sitting down to read about babies and how to help their son. With the way Peter was sobbing, he wasn't sure a car ride would do any good. But they needed to try. Any option was on the table right now. 

Tony opened the door for Steve to lower Peter down into his seat, strapping him in and throwing a blanket over his little body. Once he was buckled him and comfortable, Steve moved around to get into the back seat and sit by Peter's side while Tony prepared to drive them out onto the busy streets. Normally, Tony's driving had Steve's heart racing toward cardiac arrest, but with Peter in the car, he knew Tony was extra cautious. 

"Okay buddy, here we go," Steve cooed, reaching over to allow Peter to grab and squeeze his hand.

The crying continued as they drove out into the city, but soon Peter began to take notice of the flashing lights all around him. The red brake lights, the yellow street lights, the green traffic light, the bright billboards shining down on them. The crying turned into little grunts of discomfort, Peter's eyes chasing the lights around. 

"Shh, shh, shh," Steve soothed, running a finger over Peter's chubby cheeks to lull him into sleep.

Tony kept a close eye on his son in the rear-view mirror, his lips curling into a smile as he noticed the baby's eyes fluttering slowly. 

Peter was fighting it hard, but Tony was going to win.

They continued driving for another twenty minutes before the car was silent, and when Tony stopped at a traffic light, he turned in his seat to find Peter almost completely asleep. His little head was drooping slowly, but he was pulling it up, intent on staying awake. But they could both see they were seconds away from victory.

When Tony drove back into the garage at the tower, he just had to take a photo. Peter was fast asleep, little lips parted and drool escaping down his chin, while Steve sat beside him with his head resting on the top of Peter's car seat, knocked out.

It was hard to hold back the chuckle.

"Well, I'm only carrying  _one_ of you to bed," 

* * *

Steve almost didn't want to move him. He looked too adorable. They had spent the whole evening at a Stark Industries gala and as boring as it could have been for a child, Tony had managed to make the events something that kids looked forward to more than the adults. The entertainment and the activities allowed all members to bring along their families and enjoy the night without having to leave their children at home.

Tony never knew why an event would cater for children until he had one of his own. Peter loved playing with other children, and he loved being carried around by his fathers as they met various board members and family friends who found the five year old to be more charming than his own parents.

But Peter had crashed hard on the drive home. He was coming down from a serious sugar high, covered in sticky candy, mouth stained red from too many lollipops, dressed in his nicest little suit and suspenders. 

"Ah, the beast is asleep," Tony sighed, pulling off his seat belt, stepping out to stand next to his husband and join in on staring at their son. 

"And we really don't want to wake the beast," Steve laughed. "Especially with the post-sugar cranky pants we'd have on our hands,"

"I'm just glad he fell asleep in the car. Imagine chasing him all over the tower right now," 

"I thought we were just letting him have  _some_ candy," 

"He did had some candy, and then some more, and more," Tony chuckled. "When we said no, he went to Happy and Pepper and Rhodey and then back around them all again. Plus that kid is sneaky. He just gets into places without being seen."

"He really has a thing for sugar, doesn't he?"

"Most kids do, Steve."

"But he has one piece and he can't stop,"

Tony laughed.

"I still love his face when he gets hopped up on sugar," he admit. "He laughs at everything and his eyes go so wide,"

Steve chuckled at the memory from earlier that night. Peter had been absolutely wild. And he was crashing really hard. 

"Okay, I'll try and get him out without waking him," Steve sighed, reaching in to undo Peter's seatbelt.

He gently slid his hands around his son, lifting him slowly and carefully until the little boy was draped across Steve's chest. There were a few grumbles and moans, but soon enough Peter's little face was buried in Steve's neck and he sleeping once again.

"God, he needs a bath," Steve whined, feeling the sticky candy remains on his neck from Peter's mouth.

"Just run a washcloth over his face, he can have a bath in the morning," Tony suggested. "He's so out of it,"

"He's always out of it when he falls asleep in the car," Steve pointed out. 

"Kid likes the drive," Tony shrugged. "I think we started a bit of a habit when we started taking him as a baby,"

"You're probably right,"

* * *

 

Steve was right.

Peter fell asleep in the car within minutes, no matter where they were driving. To the store, to school, to his friend's house - anywhere. It didn't matter if the drive was three minutes or thirty, Peter's head would be leaned up against the window, eyes closed and lips parted in a deep sleep.

It was cute to witness when Peter was still little, but now it worried his parents.

"Pete?" Tony called out. "How was school?"

He already knew why he received no answer.

"Pete!"

"Huh?" the boy mumbled, blinking awake. "I'll do my homework when we get home,"

Tony smirked.

"Not what I asked, but good job ratting yourself out there kid,"

It especially worried Steve.

No matter how many times Tony assured him this was normal, that their son was a teenager who needed more sleep and probably had a horrible schedule, Steve still wondered.

One night they were driving home from dinner when Steve turned to see Peter drooped forward in his seat, head hanging uncomfortably low as he drooled away. He reached back with a sigh and jostled Peter into a safer position, one that wouldn't cut off his airways in a matter of seconds. The boy grumbled slightly, but didn't stir enough to wake.

He was sixteen now, standing almost as tall as Tony, not that it was difficult, and approaching on Steve quicker than he'd like. His body was longer now, his bony legs stuck out in front of him as his arms sprawled out at his sides. At least he was comfortable.

"It's like he doesn't sleep at night," Steve shook his head.

"He's sixteen, Steve," Tony defended. "He probably doesn't,"

"What's he doing up?"

"Talking to people, playing video games, nerding out with his friends, working on whatever invention he's got in his head this week," he rattled off. "He's fine,"

"I just wish he'd tell us if there's something wrong," 

"Once again Steve, he's sixteen," Tony huffed. "He's not going to tell us _everything_. He tells us more than any other kid tells their parents, and that's good. He knows we won't ever get mad at him for being honest and keeping us in the loop on important stuff, he trusts us. But the things he keeps to himself...he's allowed to have that."

"I know. I'm not saying he has to tell us everything, just...it's hard to see him growing up sometimes. He's making this own little life for himself that doesn't involve us, and that's great, he's becoming his own person and I would never want to-"

"I get it," Tony cut him off. "Big time."

"You do?"

"You know I do,"

Steve have him a soft smile, reaching over to grab Tony's hand in his own.

"He couldn't stay a baby for long,"

"He'll always be our baby,"

"As much as he hates us calling him that in public, yeah, he will be," Tony laughed. "But since he's big and growing and a lot heavier than he used to be, it's a lot more effort carrying his ass up to bed,"

Steve laughed.

"Maybe for you," he joked. "He's still as light as ever to me,"

"Good, because you can lug him upstairs when we get home," Tony chuckled.

"That's fine," Steve shrugged. "I'll carry him around for as long as he lets me."

 


End file.
